»There is something in the air getting up people's noses, and environmental experts believe it could be coming from our neighbours across the water.

Complaints of an acrid smell wafting across the River Thames to Gravesham have been blamed on fumes from a fire involving 21,000 tonnes of wood in Essex that has been blazing for more than a month.

The council has received scores of calls regarding strong smells during the past few weeks, and following investigations has concluded the odours are being produced by a huge blaze at a quarry owned by Rio Ltd near Orsett, Essex.

Tony Askew, of Albion Road, Gravesend, said: “We smelt it about three or four weeks ago. At night we have the window open and it wakes you up.

“I have been getting headaches, though whether that is the smell or lack of sleep I don’t know. It is like someone is smoking a really old cigarette, it absolutely reeks.”

‘Burns nostrils’

The blaze, fuelled by processed wood awaiting transport to a biomass factory, began on July 3 in a 76 metre deep pit and is still smouldering.

But there is bad news for residents as firefighters have advised that, for health and safety reasons, they plan to let it burn itself out.

This could take another two weeks, with two main areas still ablaze, although clearing of some charred remains began this week.